


I'll Meet You Halfway

by brianaa_c



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, The Rise of Skywalker spoilers, enjoy, just a small one-shot with a kiss or two, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21603505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brianaa_c/pseuds/brianaa_c
Summary: He seems relaxed. Rey doesn't even think he's armed. He simply holds his helmet in his hand as she approaches him, as calm as she's ever seen him. He's never looked more beautiful."I think it's finally time for a truce."
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 5
Kudos: 114





	I'll Meet You Halfway

**Author's Note:**

> So I CANNOT get over the new video of Ben and Rey walking toward each other in the desert so here's a small one-shot enjoy!!

Rey senses his presence on the desert planet long before she actually sees him. 

She knew he'd come for her eventually. It was only a matter of time before he tracked her down once more. Maz's words still echo in the back of her head, like they have every day since she heard them. 

_"Whomever you're waiting for, they're never coming back. But there's someone who still could."_

Briefly, she wonders if those words are meant for Ben. They've been circling each other for months now, and although all they've been doing is fighting, neither can deal a final blow. She can't actually remember the last time Ben was on the offensive. It has become more and more apparent that he's growing into a permanent part of her life and she can't decide how she feels about it. Her heart jumps for joy, but her mind cowers at the thought.

She sees him step into view, on top of the ancient rocks, and she fights the urge to frown. Must he always be so dramatic?

He spots her instantly. Right away, he makes his way down, and she begins the treck toward him. Part of her wishes Finn was here with her to serve as some sort of sidekick, but the majority of her is glad he isn't. The two men hated each other, and she didn't need an already delicate situation blowing up in her face.

As she nears him, he seems relaxed. Rey doesn't even think he's armed. He simply holds his helmet in his hand as she approaches him, as calm as she's ever seen him. He's never looked more beautiful. She wants to kick herself for the thought.

"I think it's finally time for a truce."

She raises an eyebrow as she stops in front of him, crossing her arms across her chest. "Did you finally get tired of losing?"

The corner of his mouth ticks upward, but he stops himself before he can give her a condescending smile. "If you haven't caught on yet, I stopped fighting you a long time ago. There was nothing for me to lose." 

Her cheeks burn at his words. He's teasing her. "You're only saying that because I'm better than you." 

He blinks at her, but instead of egging her on like she thought he would, he only sets his jaw, looking down at her with an unwavering gaze. "That's probably true." 

Rey wasn't ready for that admission. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, looking out at the horizon.

It's been months since they've had an honest conversation, but the fleeting moments they had in her hut on Ahch-To felt like yesterday. She can't help but feel vulnerable in front of him, and she can't quite shake the urge of her heart wanting to trust him. But he was the enemy again. Whatever she thought she felt... it had to be gone now.

"Look," he speaks up, stepping closer. Her heart tingles at his proximity. "I'm not here to fight with you again. We both know we aren't strong enough to defeat the Emperor alone. We have to work together." 

Rey bites her tongue because she knows he's right. They've fought together before, and they have done so flawlessly, but that was _before_. She had disappointed him, and he had disappointed her. Can they trust one another after that? She's felt hollow without him ever since, and she imagines he feels the same. 

"You're right," she finally agrees, peeking a closer look at him. He's as tall as she remembers, his shoulders broad and his hair shiny. But his face has since hardened, and that stirs something in her that she's not quite familiar with. It's as if her heart is sinking. "Do they know you're here?" She asks him, changing the subject. "The First Order?"

He shakes his head before she even finishes speaking. "No one can know. If General Hux knew I was here with you..." he trails off then, shaking the thought from his head. "Well, let's just say the First Order would want me dead as much as the Resistance does." 

Rey can't help but give a whimsical smile. "I must be pretty important if they hate me that much." 

He gives her a dry chuckle. "They fear you. I guess that's a good thing."

Silence falls over them once more. He doesn't seem quite ready to leave, and she isn't sure if she wants him to. She wants to pull him closer. She wants to push him away.

Rey shifts her weight on the sand once more. "Thank you," she suddenly says, eyeing his helmet in his grip when his eyes meet hers in confusion. "For not wearing that right now. It dehumanizes you. I don't like it."

"Well, I think that's the point," he says passively, looking down at it. "I usually only wear it around enemies."

"Am I your enemy?"

"No," he swallows, glancing back up at her. "I suppose not."

"You can stay with us, you know," she tells him, taking a step closer. "I'm sure Finn and Poe would eventually come around. And I know your mother misses you. She asks about you all the time. Asks if I've seen you."

He glances at her hesitantly. "What do you tell her?"

"I lie," she tells him honestly. "I say no, I haven't seen you. I told her I would bring you back. And I still plan to eventually, when you're ready. But telling her we do nothing but try to kill each other would only break her heart." 

She briefly sees an expression of pain flash across his face, but it disappears as quickly as it came. "I guess it's for the best."

Rey wants to push the subject further, but he's clearly uncomfortable, and she knows enough about him to know if she pushes him, it'll only go downhill. "Then I guess that's that," she says, glancing down at her feet. "I'll contact you when we plan our next move."

He gives a sharp nod. "Okay."

He begins to turn away from her, but something deep inside of her cries out. Before she knows what she's doing, she's reaching for his face. He freezes as her fingertips come into contact with his jaw, and her heart is in her throat as he looks down at her, his eyes wide and unsuspecting. He doesn't dare move. 

Carefully, she inches closer. Rey stands on her tip-toes, bringing his face close to hers. She leans in to kiss his cheek, his skin smooth and warm under her mouth. She shivers as she feels his palm ghost over her hip.

"You'll always have a place here," she breathes against his skin, referring to herself, closing her eyes as the wind blows around them. "You know that."

She feels him lean into her hair. "I know." 

Rey begins to pull away from him, but she can't quite bring herself to drop her hand from his cheek. His hand remains unmoving on her waist, and she finds herself not _wanting_ him to move it. "We could die, next time we see each other," she tells him, alluding to their looming fight with Palpatine himself. "These could be our last moments together."

He nods at her words. "They could be."

She sighs softly as she wraps her other hand around his neck, pulling him down to her level. He's more than willing to oblige. "It would be a pity, Ben Solo, to waste them."

Rey tilts her head to kiss him then, and instantly her heart feels ready to burst. Never in her life has her body felt this warm, not even on the hottest days on Jakku. But this warmth is different than before. It's burning, and it's pleasurable, but it's also more. There's a sense of belonging behind his kiss, and it's something she always craved but never got. Now she was getting it. 

They part with a sigh, but Rey's hands stay firmly wound in his cape as he takes a long breath. He looks a bit overwhelmed, and she can't even begin to think of what her facial expression may be. With the way Ben is staring at her, it must be something of awe.

She hears a thud as he drops his helmet carelessly in the sand at their feet, using that hand to reach up to caress the nape of her neck, dark eyes searching hers. He didn't have the eyes of a Supreme Leader. He never has.

"If we live," he begins, his voice as soft as she's ever heard it. "Promise me I'll see you again. Just as you are now. No weapons. No fighting. Only this." 

Rey thinks about his words. The chances of them surviving were slim, but if they _did_ , Palpatine would be defeated. There would no longer be a reason to be allies. He would still be the Supreme Leader, and she would still be an undeserving Resistance hero. Neither imagined changing their plans anytime soon. But still, as he grips her hips and stares down at her with an expression of adoration that she'd never quite seen before, she has an impossible time of denying him. Denying him of what she knows they both want. 

She nods as she tightens her arms around his neck. "I promise."

He leans down to kiss her once more, but this time it's different. There's a purpose behind it, as if they're being bound together. As if they weren't already bound together before. His lips are impossibly soft but his hands are not, pulling her to him, deepening the kiss. 

He kisses her until she's breathless. He kisses her until she's putty in his hands, allowing him to bend her to his will. He kisses her until her heart is positively full, her fingers warm and buzzing as they tangle in his hair. He kisses her as the sun sets, the sound of the night insects flying around them filling her ears as they come out of hiding. He kisses her until she no longer knows where she ends and he begins. She has only heard of epic loves in stories or other lore, but never did she think she would experience one herself. She can't get enough of him, and his kisses begin to take her elsewhere, far away from wars and evil ghosts. In this moment, she realizes she'd follow him to the ends of the galaxy. She believes he'd do the same for her. 

He only stops kissing her when they sense Poe and Finn begin to approach them, parting from her and dropping his hands just before they can see what they were doing. She suddenly feels cold without him wrapped around her. She aches to reach out for him once more.

Rey watches him bend down to retrieve his helmet, glancing over his shoulder at her friends before turning his attention back to her. "I'll see you soon," is all he says, but their bond has never been more transparent between them. She can't help but desperately hope he visits her mind later tonight, and she watches him smile as he catches the hint.

"I'll see you soon," she responds, pursing her swollen lips, trying her best to look nonchalant as her friends draw nearer. Eventually, she should tell them about the time she fell in love with the Supreme Leader. Eventually, but not now.

And perhaps eventually, when this is all said and done with, they can do more than just kiss. 


End file.
